Days
by DieHardKataang
Summary: Time creates more distance than space ever can. KATAANG. Please review!


_A/N: Whuzzup everyone! I'm back with some more Kataangy goodness! So, this idea came to me in probably the most cliche way possible...in the shower. Yep. I basically wrote the first three paragraphs there in my head. And I wrote the last paragraph at about 11:30 at night when I couldn't sleep and the idea popped into my head. The rest just sort of happened._

_The idea came to me because I have read so many great fics about Katara waiting for Aang to come home and everything going through her mind, but what about Aang? I'm sure he goes through the same troubles as she does when he's away. And so, I threw this thing together. I hope you enjoy it!_

_**Please don't forget to review!** :)_

_I know, creative title, right?_

_Disclaimer: Do I really need to say it?_

_Bryke: Say it._

_DHK: But...everyone already knows._

_Bryke: Say it._

_DHK: ...I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters..._

_Bryke: B)_

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_Day 365._

_Three hundred and sixty five._

_Three. Six. Five._

Aang groans as he throws down his pen and drops his forehead to the desk, unable to think of a single coherent thought to write in his journal. How can he possibly put into words what he is feeling, much less write it down? Sure, writing has helped him cope in the months past, but today, it just wasn't cutting it.

Three hundred and sixty five days away from Katara just wasn't cutting it.

_Stupid rebels. Stupid negotiations. Stupid fights. Stupid…stupid everything! _Aang thinks as he grows increasingly angrier at his current situation.

Only a week after his engagement to Katara, Aang had been called to the Fire Nation to help settle what appeared to be a small squabble with a group of Ozai loyalists. However, the small squabble quickly grew into battle after battle against rebel armies that were dishearteningly large.

When Aang had informed Katara of the growing unrest through multiple letters sent via messenger hawk, she had unsurprisingly offered to come and help. However, not wanting to risk her getting hurt in the increasingly more violent battles, Aang had quickly turned her down. Although he knew from experience that she could easily hold her own in battle, especially against untrained, rag tag groups of rebels, Aang didn't want to take the chance. He wouldn't be able to handle the guilt and pain on the off chance that she was seriously injured fighting in his battles.

When he told her as much through the letters, she, being Katara, stubbornly insisted that he stop being paranoid and let her come. Seeing that he was quickly losing this battle, Aang had said the one thing he knew would keep her from coming on her own. He told her he didn't want her to be a distraction for him. He couldn't be constantly worrying about her in battle. He needed to be focused or he could get hurt…"or worse," as he had put it.

Although his words were true, he knew they would probably hurt her. She would feel guilty for pushing for something that could get him hurt, angry at Aang for making her feel guilty and not letting her come, and sad that she wouldn't be able to see him. But he knew he needed to say- or…write- them. Katara wouldn't have stayed home if he hadn't.

_Sure, Zuko gets three whole months after he gets engaged without any trouble but nooooo, not me. No, I only get one week. Seven days. That's it,_ Aang thinks with contempt. He couldn't deny that the week after his engagement had been the best days in his entire life, spending every waking moment with Katara talking about the wedding and their future and just being together...but still. He wouldn't have minded a _little_ more time.

The young Avatar leans back in his chair as he reminisces back to that week. So many laughs, so much happiness, and so much love. He smiles as he remembers one conversation in particular with his now-fiancée…

_Aang gazed at Katara and contemplated her radiant beauty as she stood at the balcony just outside of the Jasmine Dragon. The Gaang had decided to stay there temporarily for their little family reunion. After the war had ended, they had found themselves drifting away to very different corners of the world; Toph eventually went back to Gaoling to smooth things out with her parents and to start another metalbending school similar to the one she had started in Yu Dao. Suki went back to Kyoshi Island to see Oyagi and to get reacquainted with her home, and Sokka happily went with her, being her fiancé and all. Zuko, being the Firelord, was constantly being pulled back and forth between the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom to attend various post-war meetings and negotiations about land or reparations or any other trivial matter that the mayors of various towns could come up with._

_As for Aang and Katara, they never left each other's side. Katara went with Aang to every corner of the earth and, when time allowed it, Aang went with her back to the South Pole to oversee the rebuilding of the city._

_Almost three years had passed since the war had ended, and this was the first time that they could all really be together. Aang walked out to his love, his gaze never leaving her face. He put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a light kiss on the cheek._

"_Hello there," he said as he stood with her, marveling at the beautiful sunset that casted a beautiful pink, orange, and yellow glow over the entirety of the city._

_Katara sighed as she leaned into him. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, taking in his familiar scent. "Hey."_

"_Whatcha doing out here? Sokka and Suki are in the middle of an… interesting game of Pai Sho. Every time Suki gets ahead, Sokka changes the rules and insists that Suki isn't playing the game right. I bet he's even planning on quitting because she 'isn't playing fair,'" Aang chuckles as he recounts the events unfolding in the tea shop behind them._

"_Knowing my brother, I wouldn't put it beneath him," Katara says with a giggle. "Sokka doesn't lose games; he either wins them, or quits them because they're unfair."_

_They both laughed at the truth of her words, fondly pondering Sokka's antics. A comfortable silence fell between them as they gazed at the sunset, just holding each other. Aang didn't think this moment could get any more perfect. They were newly engaged, completely and totally love, and undeniably happy. Not wanting to break the peaceful silence but curiosity getting the better of him, Aang looked to his fiancée and said, "So really, what are you doing out here?"_

"_Just thinking." Katara replied simply._

"_What about?" Aang wondered._

"_Lots of things. The future. The past. You," answered Katara. She looked up at Aang with rosy cheeks and said with a content smile, "Especially you."_

_Aang smiled mischievously at her words. "Oh yeah?"_

"_Yeah," Katara said as she turned her gaze back to the sunset. She bit her lip and hesitated for a moment before asking, "Is this what it was like? Before the war, I mean. Did you just hang out with your friends and have fun, not worrying about them having to go or having to fight?"_

_Aang contemplated her question for a moment before answering, "Yes and no. I mean, yeah it was fun and peaceful then, but I was never able to truly appreciate the peace. I didn't know what war was like so I took the peace for granted. But now…now I know what a real blessing peace is. I am able to make the most of every single moment I have with my friends." He looked at her and placed his hand on her cheek, turning her eyes to meet his, "Plus, back then, I didn't have the privilege of loving you."_

_Katara blushed and leaned forward to give Aang a quick kiss on the lips. When she pulled away, eyes half lidded and a smile on her face, she said to him, "Good answer."_

_They both laughed and just looked at each other, reveling in the presence of the other. Katara leaned her head on Aang's shoulder and he turned his face into her hair, closing his eyes and taking in her sweet scent. He could've stood like that forever._

"_I love this balcony," Katara said in a whisper. "You can see the whole city from here. And the way the sunset colors the buildings…it's just so beautiful."_

_Aang looked squarely at Katara when he replied, "Yeah, it is." He smiled as he held her even closer. "It's also the place we had our first real kiss, so that makes it that much better."_

_Katara giggled as she remembered the moment, "That may just be the reason why this is my favorite place in the world. It's like…a chapter of our lives ended here and a new one began."_

"_Now you're being cheesy," Aang teased. He got a friendly slap to the chest with that answer and added, "But you're right. And I can't wait to write the rest of our story together."_

_Katara's smile grew wide and her face turned at least twenty shades darker. Aang loved that, after three years, he could still do that to her. Of course, she often did it to him, but it was nice to know that he held the same power._

_Once again, silence fell over them as they looked off into the horizon, contemplating their futures together. Neither one could even begin to imagine the wonderful adventures that they were bound to go through, and all the things that they would discover together. They were excited and anxious to explore their love in new ways and to learn even more about each other. Their lives were changing for the better, and they welcomed the change with open arms._

_Suddenly, they heard some kind of incoherent yelling coming from the tea shop. They both turned to discover Sokka storming from the threshold, mumbling something about unfair rules and being beaten by a girl. When he became aware of the way Aang and Katara were totally wrapped up in each other's arms, he gave them a deadpan glance and said, "Oogie," before sulking back into the shop, carefully avoiding Suki's smirking glance._

_The young couple laughed at the warrior's attitude. "Looks like someone got his butt kicked at Pai Sho," Aang said to Katara._

"_Aww my poor brother, being beaten, once again, by a girl. And his fiancée nonetheless!" Katara shook her head. Sokka will be Sokka. "I guess we'd better go try to mend his bruised ego so he isn't pouting for the rest of the reunion."_

_Without any more words, the couple took one last glance at the fading sun before walking hand in hand into the teashop to find Sokka._

Nope_, Aang thought with a smile, _It definitely won't get better than this.

Aang smiles at the fond memory. Life definitely hasn't gotten any better than it was at that moment a year ago. He wonders if Katara feels the same way. He has spent a year dealing with the rebels, but he has no idea what she has been doing. He wonders how she has changed in the time he's been gone; spirits know how much he has. His muscles have nearly doubled with all the fighting he's had to do over the months and he swears he has grown at least four inches. However, every time he looks in the mirror, he is acutely aware of how the stress is starting to take its toll on him. Dark circles seem to be permanently stained on his face due to lack of sleep and he can't even remember the last time he genuinely laughed. Spirits he hated being the Avatar sometimes.

He knows he shouldn't think like this. Being the Avatar is an honor, and it's the entire reason he was even able to meet Katara in the first place. But still. Sometimes it can be a little… taxing.

Aang leans back in his chair and takes a deep breath. However, just as he decides that he may as well take advantage of this moment of peace while he can, he hears a knock on his door.

Aang groans and slides his hand down his face in aggravation as he answers, "Come in."

He turns to see Zuko opening the door, scroll in hand. "Zuko, my dear friend," Aang deadpans. "To what do I owe the honor this time?"

The Firelord pointedly ignores his friend's dripping sarcasm and replies, "A scroll just came in from the front. The rebels are surrendering and are willing to negotiate an end to the battles. They say they want peace."

"Peace. They want peace. After fighting for an entire year, they suddenly want peace," Aang says in an unbelieving tone. "I'm sorry but I am having a _very_ hard time believing that."

Zuko smirks and says, "I had the same reaction, but it's true. Apparently, their leader was killed and their army is falling apart. They can tell they aren't going to win and don't want to lose any more people. It could finally be over."

The sincere relief in Zuko's voice was enough to convince Aang. Soon enough, both the Avatar and the Firelord were on their way to the Earth Kingdom, with Appa as their transportation. Surprisingly enough, when they arrived, the rebels indeed waved their white flag and laid down arms, and after three days of settling the formalities of the surrender, it was all over. Aang could leave. He could go to Katara.

The airbender wasted no time in sending a hawk to Ba Sing Se to inform Katara of his coming. He gave Zuko a quick goodbye and quickly boarded Appa, beginning his journey home.

Home. Being a nomad, Aang didn't have a physical home. He didn't have a house or a village to stay in or anything of that sort. His home is wherever Katara is.

_Day 369_, Aang thought as he soared through the skies on Appa. It would be a two day journey to the Earth Kingdom capitol, but to Aang it felt like a hundred years. One year away from Katara was one year too many. The anticipation of seeing her again was absolutely killing him, and he knows she probably feels the same. _If only Appa could fly a just a little faster_, Aang begrudgingly thinks to himself.

The two days pass by rather sluggishly, as predicted, but without incident. He had camped out in a forest for a night and only stopped when he needed more food or when Appa got tired. Otherwise, he flew straight through to Ba Sing Se, and as the great walls start to come into view, Aang's heart rate jumps to what he is certain is a very dangerous level.

_Day 371…the last day_, Aang muses as he urges Appa to pick up his pace. He just can't wait any longer, and he knows Katara has also waited long enough. He is more than ready to see her again.

As he flies over the city, Aang notices that the sky is rapidly turning gray and that thunder can be heard in the distance. _All the more reason to get home I guess_, Aang excitedly thinks as the ominous clouds gather.

The first raindrops begin to fall as he enters the upper ring. When Iroh's tea shop enters his view, Aang can't take it any longer. He grabs his glider and jumps from Appa's head in a valiant leap. The thought that maybe gliding in a thunderstorm _may not_ be the brightest idea barely registers in his mind as he makes a beeline for the shop.

As he gets closer and closer, the airbender is able to make out a small group of figures gathered at the shop entrance. One lone figure separates itself from the others and runs out towards him in the now pouring rain. He lands just a short distance from her and they immediately begin running to close the gap.

Tears mix with rain as the Avatar and the waterbender collide. They hold onto each other with white knuckles, both afraid that if one let go, the other would disappear. Katara sobs into Aang's chest as Aang cries into her hair. There are no words they can say to each other to express their joy, their relief, and their bittersweet happiness in this moment.

By now, they were soaked to the bone and the rain was still relentlessly coming down on them with no signs of letting up. After what felt like a lifetime and yet still not long enough, they both pull back just enough to look into each other's eyes. Aang wipes away a few damp strands of hair that had stuck to Katara's face and whispers lovingly, "I missed you."

Matching his tone, Katara smiles and whispers back, "I missed you too."

The kiss that followed was all Aang needed to bridge the year wide gap that had hung between them. He knows now with absolute certainty that nothing had changed…nothing important anyway. He's here, she is in his arms…he's home.

_Day 1._

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_A/N: Thanks for reading to the end! Please please please take two seconds to **review**! (And brownie points to whoever caught the quote straight from The Office! ^_^)_


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